t;
For the rain fell fast
On a rude and chilly blast,
And it wasn't what he led me to expect.'

'It is all very well,' said the Rosebud,
As April softly sighed a fond adieu;
'But after all, I'm sorry you must leave me,
For May's a month I dread much more than you.
She prates of all the wonders of the summer;
She promises--but only to betray,
And those who tell the truth about the spring-time
Are never complimentary to May;
And e'en a baby Rose
Can be pardoned, I suppose,
For feeling some anxiety in May.'

And thus through all the months of happy summer
This foolish Rose no cause for pleasure found,
And when the winds of autumn swept the garden,
They scattered all her petals on the ground.
Oh, let me urge this on you--to remember
That no one should enlarge upon a wrong,
For those who spend their time in idle grumbling
Will find there's not a moment for a song,
And sadly they'll recall,
When the autumn shadows fall,
The summer that was worthy of a song.

'AS YOU PLEASE.'

In the ancient times there lived a wonderfully wise man, of whom it was
said that he could answer correctly any question put to him. There was
one, however, who thought himself clever enough to outwit the sage. This
man took a poor, captive bird, and clasped it so closely in his hand
that only the head and tail were visible.

'Tell me,' said he to the renowned guesser of riddles, 'is the bird
which I hold in my hand alive or dead?'

If the answer were 'Dead,' thought this artful plotter, he would just
open his hand, and let the bird fly; if the answer were 'Alive,' he
would with one little squeeze crush the poor bird to death.

But the wise man proved himself equal to the occasion, and replied, 'It
is _as you please._'

Each one of you holds within his or her grasp the fair bird of life.
Which is it to be? A blessing or a bane? It is 'as _you_ please.'

THE PENGUIN.

There are several kinds of penguins, and several different names have
been given to the same kinds, so that the number of names is rather
bewildering. We hear of the Great Penguin, the Grey Penguin, the Cape
Penguin, the Jackass Penguin, and several others; but, as they are all
very similar in most respects, we will not trouble much about the kinds,
but learn what we can of the habits and peculiarities of penguins
generally.

These birds live mostly in